Enigma Variations

Once the residue series was done I turned to the relief of play, which for me consists of setting myself a visual problem to solve. In this case, I challenged myself with the square, a shape with which I do not find affinity, and simple color breakdowns. Initially using three plates I developed imagery on them simultaneously, using some fun technical discoveries made in the process of solving students’ technical mistakes. I happened to be reading Dieter Roth (Processing the World)and Josef Albers (Interaction of Color) at the time. I then printed the three plates in the same three ink colors, in various combinations and order of printing. In essence, I was riffing on a theme, hence my nod to Edward Elgar, whose fourteen variations on a theme form the Enigma Variations.